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162that all data from former republics of the USSR(except for Estonia) underestimate the occurrenceof disease... (UNSCEAR, 2000, item 234,p. 48).This chapter is divided into sections on thevarious cancers that have been found in territoriescontaminated by Chernobyl radionuclides.Section 6.1 deals with general oncologicalmorbidity, 6.2 with thyroid cancer, 6.3 withleukemia, and 6.4 with all of the other malignantneoplasms. This chapter, as well as othersin this book, is not an all-inclusive review,but does reflect the scope and the scale of theproblem.6.1. Increase in GeneralOncological MorbidityThere are two ways to define the scale of cancermorbidity associated with the Chernobylcatastrophe: (1) on the basis of calculated receiveddoses (with application of appropriaterisk factors) and (2) by direct comparison ofcancer morbidity in the heavily and less contaminatedterritories.6.1.1. Belarus1. For the period 1990–2000 cancer morbidityin Belarus increased 40%. The increasewasamaximuminthemosthighlycontaminatedGomel Province and lower in the lesscontaminated Brest and Mogilev provinces:52, 33, and 32%, respectively (Okeanov et al.,2004).2. A significant increase in morbidity for malignantand benign neoplasms occurred in girlsaged 10 to 14 years born to irradiated parentsin the years from 1993 to 2003 (National BelarussianReport, 2006).3. The highest level of general oncologicalmorbidity among persons 0 to 17 years of agefrom 1986 to 2000 occurred in the most contaminatedGomel Province; the lowest was inthe least contaminated areas of the Vitebsk andGrodno provinces (Borysevich and Poplyko,2002).4. The level of the cancer morbidityin Gomel and Mogilev provinces correlatedwith the level of contamination of the areas(Table 6.1).5. From 1987 to 1999 some 26,000 casesof radiation-induced malignant neoplasms (includingleukemia) were registered. The averageannual absolute risk of malignant diseasecalculated from these data is 434 per 10,000person/Sv. The relative risk for cancer is 3–13 Sv −1 , an order of magnitude higher that ofHiroshima (Malko, 2002).6. Cancer morbidity among liquidators(57,440 men and 14,400 women officially registered)sharply and significantly increased from1993 to 2003 compared to individuals exposedto less contamination (Table 6.2).7. Cancer morbidity among liquidators whoworked in May–June 1986 (maximal doses anddose rate) is above that of liquidators whoworked in July–December 1986, who receivedlower doses (Table 6.3).8. Cancer mortality in the Narovlia District,Gomel Province, increased from 0.0 to 26.3%TABLE 6.1. Occurrence of Cancers (per 100,000) in Belarussian Territories Contaminated by Cs-137before and after the Catastrophe (Konoplya and Rolevich, 1996; Imanaka, 1999)Gomel ProvinceMogilev ProvinceContamination,Ci/km 2 1977–1985 1986–1994 1977–1985 1986–199415 194.6 ± 8.6 304.1 ± 16.5 ∗ 221.0 ± 8.6 303.9 ± 5.1 ∗∗ P < 0.05.